Multiple divisible carton for bottled beverages and the like



GRECCO MULTIPLE DIVISIBLE CARTON FOR BOTTLED June 7, 1955 BEVERAGES AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1952 INVENTOR. LOUIS P GRECCO ATTORNEY June 7, 1955 P.-GRECCO MULTIPLE DIVISIBLE CARTON FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1952 Y INVENTOR. LOUIS P GRECGO ATTORNEY June 7, 1955 P. GRECCO 2,710,130

MULTIPLE DIVISIBLE CARTON FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 12, 1952 4 She ets-Sheet s 51 56 60 Z l ll 59 b i 62 l l I l a o I l e3 57 IN VEN TOR.

LOUIS P GRECCO ATTORNEY June 7, 1955 cco 2,710,130

MULTIPLE DIVI SIBLE CARTON FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 12, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

LOUIS P GRECCO BY ATTORNEY MULTIPLE DIVISIELE CARTON FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES AND THE LIKE Louis P. Grecco, Portland, Greg.

Application February 12, 1952, Serial No. 271,141

8 Claims. (Cl. 229- This invention relates in general to cartons, particu* larly cartons of paper board or similar materials, which are adapted to be divided and subdivided into units, with each unit then capable of serving as a separate smaller container for a corresponding portion of the packaged goods of the carton.

More specifically, my invention relates to a divisible or separable carton adapted for use as a container for bottled beverages and the like, which carton, when packed and sealed, can then be subdivided into two half size cartons, or into four quarter size cartons, each continuing to function as a sealed container for the bottles of beverages or other goods originally packed therein.

While my multiple divisible carton will be described in connection with the packaging of bottled beverages, and such use is probably its most important use, nevertheless my invention is not to be considered as restricted to employment with any particular goods since it is adapted for use for bottles, cans, or other individual articles ordinarily packaged in cartons provided with cells or compartments for such articles.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved multi-divisible carton which will be simple in construction and formed from blanks which can be easily stamped out, scored and cut.

A related object of the invention is to provide a carton formed from a pair'of similar blanks, resembling to a considerable extent the blanks from which ordinary rectangular cartons are customarily formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved divisible carton, the setting up of which will not require any special skill or involve any excessive amount of labor, and which, when set up, can be filled and sealed in much the same manner as any ordinary carton of similar size and shape.

In disposing of bottled beverages, received from the manufacturer packed in large cartons, the retailer is often obliged to sell the bottles in smaller lots, for instance, if the carton from the manufacturer contains two dozen bottles, the retailer may often be required to sell the bottles in dozen or half dozen lots to customers. A specific and important object of this invention accordingly is toprovide an improved carton, adapted to serve as a sealed container for bottled beverages, which can be divided and subdivided into smaller sealed containers without unpacking or disturbing the arrangement of the bottles or other articles in the carton.

A further object of the invention is to provide a divisible carton for bottled beverages which, when divided, will produce the desired smaller containers each of which will continue to remain sealed after such division and will satisfactorily hold the bottles in place without any additional reinforcing wrapping, tying or sealing of the resulting smaller container.

An additional object of the invention isto provide an improved divisible carton which can be divided and sub- States Patent "ice 2 divided quickly and easily without any particular skill or effort and with only a small amount of cutting required for severing the divisions.

Another special object of the invention is to provide an improved unitary partition structure, a plurality of which structures can be used in a divisible carton, and

which partition structures will facilitate the division of the filled and sealed carton and also serve to complete the smaller sealed sections into which the carton is di vided.

The manner in which I attain these particular obje'cts and other incidental advantages, the manner in which my improved carton is constructed, and the improved partition structure employed with the carton, will be explained and described briefly with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the blank from which a half section of the carton is formed;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a similar blank from which the other half section of the carton is formed;

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the half sections formed by the blanks of Figs. 1 and 2 respectively set up in the operation of assembling the carton;

Fig. 5 is a corresponding perspective view showing the sections illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 joined together in the next step of completing the carton structure;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which one of the four sets of unitary partition structures or filler cells for the interior of the carton is formed;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing one of these partition structures set up preparatory to being inserted in place in the carton;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the entire carton, with the top flaps open to show the partition structures or sets of filler cells in place;

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the same carton showing the bottom flaps partly open for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 10 is a corresponding bottom plan view of the carton with the bottom flaps sealed;

Fig. 11 is a top perspective view of the entire'carton showing the same sealed and in the process of being divided in half;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the resulting half sections after the dividing of the sealed carton of Fig. 11 has been completed;

Fig. 13 is a corresponding perspective view of the other half section of the carton, and also illustrates this half section in the process of being subdivided into two quarter sections; and V Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of ordinary carton containing two sets of filler cells or partition structures, with which combination my invention also may be carried out, the top flaps of the carton shown partly open for clarity.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the two half sections of my improved carton and the blanks from whichthe same are formed are indicated in general by the reference characters A and B. The blank of Fig. 1, or the blank for the half section A, is cut' and scored as indicated so as to have four wall portions '12, It '13 and 11, with top forming flaps 15, 16, 17 and 18 and bottom forming flaps 19, 2t), 21 and 22. The blank is scored or creased for folding along the horizontal lines at and along the yer- The blank of Fig. '1 differs from the customary blank for ordinary rectangular cartons in several particulars.

For example, the extended parts 23, 23-", constituting extensions of wall portion 12am! top flap 15 respectively,

extend beyond the side and top of the carton section formed when the blank A is set up, as shown in Fig. '3.

A vertical slot 24 (Figs. 1 and 3) extends up half way at the end of the wall portion 12 between the wall portion 12 and the extended part 23. A similar vertical slot 49 extends half way up the dividing fold between the wall portion 11 and the wall portion 13. The purpose of the slots 24 and 49 and the purpose of the extended parts 23, 23' will be explained later. The two bottom flaps 2t and 22 have identical rectangular cut out portions 28 and 29 respectively. The other two bottom flaps 1? and 21 have identical tongues 26 and 27. The purpose of these will also be explained later. A vertical row of perforations 25 extends across the center of each of the wall portions 10 and 11 to facilitate division of the carton, as will appear later.

The blank of Fig. 2 for the half carton B is similar to the blank of Fig. l but oppositely arranged and the corresponding parts are of the same size as those of the blank of Fig. 1. Thus the blank of Fig. 2 has four wall portions 30, 32, 31 and 33, top flaps 35, 36, 37, 38, bottom flaps 39, 4t), 41, 42 and the end joining flap 34. The bottom flaps 39 and 41 have rectangular cut out portions 46 and 47 respectively and the other two bottom flaps 40 and 42 have the tongues 44 and 45 respectively. The extended parts 43 and 43 are similar to the extended parts 23 and 23' in Fig. l but the part 43' in Fig. 2 is an extension of a bottom flap instead of a top flap. Also the slots 70 and 70 extend half Way down from the top of the carton section in Fig. 2 Whereas the corresponding slots 24 and 49 of Fig. I extend half way up from the bottom of the carton section. The wall portions 30 and 31 each have a vertical row of perforations 48 extending across the center.

When the blanks of Figs. 1 and 2 are each set up by the securing of the end joining flaps 14 and 34 respectively in place, the carton sections appear as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively. These two sections are then attached together by sliding the extended part 23 of section A into slot 70 of section B while sliding extended part 43 of section B into slot 49 of section A. This se- 7 cures the two sections together, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

At this stage the set-up carton, comprising the two sections A and B is ready to receive the interior filler cells or par ition structures, then to have the bottom flaps closed and bottles placed in the filler cells. Later, when the filled carton passes through the sealing machine, the outer bottom flaps are opened and coated with adhesive on their inside faces and then pressed into sealing position, while the outer top flaps simultaneously are similarly coated with adhesive on their inner faces and pressed into sealing position.

Four identical partition structures or sets of filler cells are used in the carton, two sets being used in each of the carton sections A and B. Each of these partition structures is formed from a blank, the shape of which is shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6 the broken lines indicate score or crease lines. These score or crease lines together with the slots 58 and 59 divide the blank into a number of rectangular portions 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 and 57. A pair of slots 60 and 61 extend into the portions 56 and 57 respectively and a pair of slots 62 and 63 at the opposite end of the blank extend into portion 54.

In setting up the partition structure the portion 55, and with it the portions 56 and 57, is folded over on the line a (Fig. 6) until portion 55 rests against portion 50. Then portions 56 and 57 are folded at right angles to portion 55 on the lines b. and c respectively; portion 53 is folded up on line at right angles to portion 50; portion 54 is folded on line e at right angles to portion 53, and thus parallel to portion 50, so that the slots 6t) and 62 interlock and slots 61 and 63 interlock; and finally the side wing portions 51 and 52 are folded on lines f and g respectively. The structure then appears as illustrated in Fig. 7, the portion 50 being the main wall of the structure and the portion 53 being the base. The dimensions of the main wall 50 correspond to the height and width of the interior of the carton sections A and B, and the dimensions of the portions 56 and 57 correspond to the height and to approximately half the length of the interior of the carton sections A and B. The portion or wall 54 could be made higher and could extend up the same height as the main divisional Walls 56 and 57, thus to the top of the carton. This may be necessary under some circumstances, but ordinarily the height to which this wall 54 extends in Fig. 7 will be adequate.

Fig. 8 shows four of these partition structures inserted in place in the complete carton, two of the structures being in each of the carton sections A and B. As shown in the top plan view of Fig. 8, these structures are arranged in each carton section with their main Walls 59 placed adjacent each other across the center of the carton section.

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the carton of Fig. 8 with the partitions therein, the bottom flaps being shown partly open, and Fig. 10 shows the bottom closed and sealed. The sealing of the carton bottom will be understood from a comparison of Figs. 9 and 10. In each carton section the side bottom flaps (thus the flaps 20 and 22 of carton section A) are first folded over. The cut-away portions (such as 28 and 29) of the side bottom flaps may have part of the base 53 of each partition structure exposed. Then the end bottom flaps (thus the flaps 15 and 21 of the carton section A or the flaps 4t} and 42 of the carton section B), after being coated with adhesive on their inside faces in the usual manner, are pressed in place over the side bottom flaps. It will be noted that bottom flap 21 of carton section A extends over the extended part 43 of the corresponding bottom flap 42 of the carton section B. This prevents carton section B from slipping out of locking engagement with carton section A.

When the end bottom flaps 19, 21 and 40, 42 (Fig. 10), coated on their inside faces with adhesive, are pressed into sealing position, the tongues 26, 27, 44 and 45 will be pressed up into contact with the bottoms 53 of the four partition structures respectively, and thus each partition structure will be attached to a bottom outside flap of the completed carton. This is a novel feature to which further reference will later be made.

The sealing of the top of the carton, assuming that the bottles of beverage (not shown) or other articles have been placed in the cells provided by the four sets of partition structures (Fig. 8), proceeds in a similar manner as will be understood from Figs. 8 and 11. Thus the pairs of side top flaps are first folded over and finally the end top flaps 15, 17, 36 and 38, after being coated with adhesive on their inside faces, are pressed down into place. It will be noted from these figures that flap 36 of carton section B covers the extended part 23 of flap 15 of carton section A. This is a further means of preventing carton section B from moving out of locking engagement with carton section A.

Fig. 11 shows the entire carton, comprising the two carton sections A and B, completely sealed, the interior of the cntirecarton being filled with four sets of cells and thus accommodating a total of two dozen bottles of beverage, for example. Assuming that it is now desired to divide the entire carton with its contents in half, thus separating carton sections A and B from each other, this is done very easily in the manner illustrated in Fig. 11. Since the carton sections A and B are locked together by the extended parts 23 and 23, 43 and 43, all that is necessary. is to sever these parts and the two sections will be entirely separate. By inserting a knife between the adjoining walls of the two sections and running this knife around the carton, with the adjoining walls acting as a guide for the knife blade, severing of the two sections is accomplished with a minimum of care and effort. The two separated sections A and B then appear as two sealed cartons, as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, each completely sealed and containing its dozen bottles of beverage.

Now let it be assumed that one of the carton sections, for example, carton section A is to be further divided in half in order to produce two small cartons each containing only one-half dozen bottles, the manner in which this further division is performed is illustrated in Fig. 12. A knife. blade is inserted through the inner top flaps and down between the adjoining walls 50, 50 of the partition structures inside. The knife blade is then passed all the way around the carton structure, the walls 50, 5t! guiding the course of the knife. The rows of perforations 25 facilitate the cutting of the side Walls. When the cutting is completed each quarter size carton will still be a closed and sealed container. The main wall portion 50 of the partition structure in each case will now serve as one of the outside walls of the quarter size carton. However due to the fact that the base 53 of such partition structure is secured to a tongue in the bottom of the quarter size carton, as previously described, the bottom of the wall 5% being connected to the base 53, and to the fact that the two parallel walls 56 and 57 (see also Fig. 7) extend up to the top of the carton and are connected with the top of the wall 50, the entire partition structure and in particular the wall 50 remain firmly in'place. It is not necessary to provide any additional means for permanently securing the wall 56 in place. Thus it is not necessary to glue or staple the side wings 51 and 52 of the partition structure to the adjacent carton walls, as would be required with other carton cell structures heretofore used, and this separate and troublesome step is avoided with my improved partition structure and arrangement. Since the wall 5t) remains firmly in place in the resulting quarter size carton the latter continues as a closed and sealed container, retaining its half dozen bottles.

In Fig. 14 I show an ordinary rectangular carton of the same size as the carton section or component compartrnents A and B, similarly filled with a pair of partition structures formed exactly as previously described. This carton C of Figure 14 has the usual end flaps at top and bottom, the two top end flaps, 64 and 65 being shown in the figure, and, as is customary with common rectangular cartons, these end flaps, unlike those in the special component carton sections A and B previously described, do not extend to the center of the carton. This ordinary carton has the usual side flaps at top and bottom, the top side flaps 66 and 67 being shown in the figure. These side flaps do of course extend to the center of thecarton and, as is customary, are positioned outside the end flaps when the carton is sealed. When using an ordinary carton like carton C for carrying out my invention, I provide slots 68 and 69 extending inwardly from the center point on the edge of each of the side wall flaps.

The two sets of partition structures which provide the two sets of cells for the interior ofthe carton are placed in the carton with their main side walls 50, 5t) adjacent each other and thus extending transversely across the center of the carton.

In the sealing of the carton at top and bottom adhesive is applied to the inside faces of the side flaps as usual. It will be understood from. Figure 14 therefore that when the bottom side flaps are pressed into bottom sealing position they will extend over the base. portions of each of the partition structures (thus over the base. 53, Fig. 7, of each partition structure). Consequently each of the two partition structures is secured to the two side flaps of the base.

When the carton C, containing its dozen bottles of beverage has been sealed at both top and bottom it may thenbe easily divided into two smaller cartons. This is done by inserting a knife blade down through the slots 68 and 69 and down between the adjacent main walls 50, 50 of the two partition structures and then running the knife entirely around the carton, the knife blade being guided by the two walls 50, 50 of the partition structure. When the carton is out completely in half in this manner the two half cartons will each then be a separate container compeletly closed and sealed.

The wall 50 of the partition structure in each resulting small container then also serves as one of the outside walls of such container. Due to the fact that the bottom of the partition structures is secured to the base flaps and.

that the divisional verticalwalls 56 and 57 (Fig. 7) of the carton structure extend from the top ,to they bottom of,

\ blank, said component cartons locked together side by side, means provided by said integral blanks for interlocking said component cartons, whereby the severing of said locking means will enable each component carton to be handled as a separate carton, a pair of identical unitary partition structures in each of said component cartons, each of said structures formed from a single sheet fiat blank, cut, scored and folded along scored lines to form a cell assembly having a vertical main back wall, a divisional vertical wall extending at right angles to said main wall, and a base, the height and length of said main wall corresponding tothe height and width of the interior of the component carton and the height of said divisional wall equal to the interior height ofthe component carton, said partition structures arranged with their main walls back to back extending transversely across the center of the component carton, the bases of said partition structures secured by adhesive to the outer flaps of the bottom of said component carton, whereby when the sealed component carton is cut transversely in half said main walls of said partition structures will constitute a side wall for each of said half component cartons respectively and each of said latter mentioned walls will be held in place by the secured base of the partition structure and by the engagement of the said divisional wall of the partition structure with the top and bottom of the half component carton.

2. A composite multiple divisible carton including a pair of rectangular component cartons of the same size and shape each formed from a scored and cut integral '1 blank, said component cartons locked together side by side, means provided by said integral blanks for interlocking said component cartons, said means including a pair of latching tongues produced by an extension of one wall of each component carton, a corner slot in each component carton adapted to receive the tongue of the other component carton when said component cartons are locked together, and means preventing said component cartons from slipping out of locked position, whereby the severing of said first mentioned locking means will enable each component carton to be handled as a separate carton, a pair of identical unitary partition structures in each of said component cartons, each of said structures formed from a single sheet fiat blank, cut, scored and folded along scored lines to form a cell assembly having a vertical main back Wall, a divisional vertical Wall extending at right angles to said main wall and a base, the height and length of said main wall corresponding to the height and width of the interior of the component carton and the height of said divisional wall equal to the interior height of the component carton, said partition structures arranged with their main walls back to back extending transversely across the center of the component carton, the bases of said partition structures secured by adhesive to the outer flaps of the bottom of said component carton respectively, whereby when the sealed component carton is cut transversely in half said main walls of said partition structures will constitute a side wall for each of said half component cartons respectively and each of said latter mentioned walls will be held in place by the secured base of the partition structure and by the engagement of the said divisional wall of the partition structure with the top and bottom of the half component carton.

3. A composite multiple divisible carton including a pair of rectangular component cartons of the same size and shape each formed from a scored and cut integral blank, said component cartons locked together side by side, means provided by said integral blanks for interlocking said component cartons, said means including a pair of latching tongues produced by an extension of one end wall of each component carton, a corner slot in each component carton adapted to receive the tongue of the other component carton when said component cartons are locked together, and a flap end extension on each component carton extending to the other component carton and overlapped by the corresponding flap of the other component carton, whereby to prevent said component cartons from slipping out of locked position, whereby the severing of said locking means will enable each component carton to be handled as a separate carton, a pair of identical unitary partition structures in each of said component cartons, each of said structures formed from a single sheet flat blank, cut, scored and folded along scored lines to form a cell assembly having a vertical main back wall, a divisional vertical Wall extending at right angles to said main wall and a base, the height and length of said main wall corresponding to the height and width of the interior of the component carton and the height of said divisional wall equal to the interior height of the component carton, said partition structures arranged with their main walls back to back extending transversely across the center of the component carton, the bases of said partition structures secured by adhesive to the outer flaps of the bottom of said component carton respectively, whereby when the sealed component carton is cut transversely in half said main walls of said partition structures will constitute a side wall for each of said component cartons respectively and each of said latter mentioned walls will be held in place by the secured base of the partition structure and by the engagement of the said divisional wall of the partition structure with the top and bottom of the half component carton.

4. A composite multiple divisible carton including a pair of rectangular component cartons of the same size and shape each formed from a scored and cut integral blank, said component cartons locked together side by side, means provided by said integral blanks for interlocking said component cartons, whereby the severing of said locking means will enable each component carton to be handled as a separate carton, a pair of identical unitary partition structures in each of said component cartons, each of said structures formed from a single sheet fiat blank, cut, scored and folded along scored lines to form a cell assembly having a vertical main back wall, a divisional'vertical wall extending at right angles to said main wall and, a base, the height and length of said main wall corresponding to the height and width of the interior of the component carton and the height of said divisional wall equal to the interior height of the component carton, said partition structures arranged with their main walls back to back extending transversely across the center of the component carton, the inner bottom flaps in the bottoms of said component cartons having cutout portions beneath the bases of said partition structures, the outer bottom flaps of said component cartons having tongues adapted to be pressed inwardly at said cutout portions and into contact with said bases, whereby upon the sealing of said outer bottom flaps in place by adhesive said tongues will become sealed to the bases of said partition structures, whereby when the sealed componcnt carton is cut transversely in half said main walls of said partition structures will constitute a side wall for each of said half component cartons respectively and each of said latter mentioned walls will be held in place by the secured base of the partition structure and'by the engagement of the said divisional wall of the partition struc- 8 ture with the top and bottom of the half component carton.

5. A composite multiple divisible carton comprising a pair of rectangular component cartons of the same size and shape each formed from a scored and cut integral blank, said component cartons locked together side by side, means provided by said integral blanks for interlocking said component cartons, said means including a pair of latching tongues produced by an extension of one end wall of each component carton, a corner slot in each component carton adapted to receive the tongue of the other component carton when said component cartons are locked together, and a flap end extension on each component carton extending to the other component carton and overlapped by the corresponding flap of the other component carton, whereby to prevent said cornponent cartons from slipping out of locked position, whereby the severing of said locking means will enable each component carton to be handled as a separate cartcn, a pair of identical unitary partition structures in each of said component cartons, each of said structures formed from a single sheet flat blank, cut, scored and folded along scored lines to form a cell assembly having a vertical main back wall, a divisional vertical wall extending a. right angles to said main wall and a base, the height and length of said main wall corresponding to the height and width of the interior of the component carton and the height of said divisional wall equal to the interior height of the component carton, said partition structures arranged with their main walls back to back extending transversely across the center of the component carton, the inner bottom flaps in the bottoms of said component cartons having cutout portions beneath the bases of said partition structures, the outer bottom flaps of said component cartons having tongues adapted to be pressed inwardly at said cutout portions and into contact with said bases, whereby upon the sealing of said outer bottom flaps in place by adhesive said latter mentioned tongues will become sealed to the bases of said partition structures, whereby when the sealed component carton is cut transversely in half said main walls of said partition structures will constitute a side wall for each of said half component cartons respectively and each of said latter mentioned walls will be held in place by the secured base of the partition structure and by the engagement of the said divisional wall of the partition structure with the top and bottom of the half component carton.

6. A composite multiple divisible carton of the character described comprising a pair of rectangular component cartons of the same size and shape each formed from a scored and cut integral blank, said component cartons locked together side by side, means provided by said integral blanks for interlocking said component cartons, said means including a pair of latching tongues produced by an extension of one end wall of each component carton, a corner slot in each component carton adapted to receive the tongue of the other component carton when said component cartons are locked together, and a flap end extension on each component carton extending to the other component carton and overlapped by the corresponding flap of the other component carton, whereby to prevent said component cartons from slipping out of locked position, whereby the severing of said locking means will enable each component carton to be handled as a separate carton, a pair of identical unitary partition structures in each of said component cartons, each of said structures formed from a single sheet fiat blank, cut, scored and folded as described to form a cell assembly consisting of a vertical main back wall, a pair of divisional vertical walls extending at right angles to said main wall and connected to the top of said main wall, a base and an inner wall parallel to said main wall, the height and length of said main wall corresponding to the height and Width of the interior of the component carton and the height of said divisional walls equal to the interior height of the component carton, said partition structures arranged with their main walls back to back extending transversely across the center of the component carton, the inner bottom flaps in the bottoms of said component cartons having cutout portions beneath the bases of said partition structures, the outer bottom flaps of said component cartons having tongues adapted to be pressed in- Wardly at said cutout portions and into contact with said bases, whereby upon the sealing of said outer bottom flaps in place by adhesive said latter mentioned tongues will become sealed to the bases of said partition structures, whereby when the sealed component carton is cut transversely in half said main walls of said partition structures will constitute a side wall for each of said half component cartons respectively and each of said latter mentioned walls will be held in place by the secured base of the partition structure and by the engagement of the said divisional walls of the partition structure with the top and bottom of the half component carton.

7. In a divisible sealed carton a pair of identical unitary partition structures, each of said structures having a vertical main wall of the same height and length as the height and width of the interior of the carton, a tongue extending centrally from the top of said main wall, a pair of divisional vertical walls of the same height as the interior of the carton extending from the lateral edges of said tongue and arranged at right angles to said main wall, a bottom wall joined to the bottom of said main wall, and an inner vertical wall parallel. to said main wall, joined at the bottom to said bottom wall and intersectingsaid divisional vertical walls, said pair of partition structures arranged in the carton with their main walls back to back extending transversely across the interior of the carton with only said bottom walls secured to said carton, whereby, when the sealed carton is cut transversely in half, said main wall of each partition structure will remain firmly positioned in its corresponding half carton by the secured bottom wall and by the engagement of the top and bottom edges of the divisional vertical walls with the sealed top and bottom respectively of the half carton, and thereby constitute a firm outer side wall for the half carton.

8. A unitary partition structure for the interior of a carton of the character described, said partition structure formed from a single blank and having a rectangular main portion corresponding in height and length respectively to the height and width of the interior of the carton, a tongue extending centrally from the top of said main portion, a pair of identical divisional wall portions extending from the lateral edges of said tongue and corresponding in height to the height of said main portion, a bottom portion extending from the bottom edge of said main portion, an inner Wall portion extending from the edge of said bottom wall portion opposite said main portion, a pair of slots in the outer edge of the inner wall portion in alignment with the sides of said tongue, and a slot in the end of each divisional wall portion spaced from the corresponding side of said tongue a distance equal to the length of said bottom portion, said bottom portion folded over to extend at right angles to said main portion, said inner wall portion folded over in the same direction to extend at right angles to said bottom portion, said divisional wall portions folded oppositely towards each other at right angles to said tongue, said tongue folded over 180 degrees against said main portion, and said divisional walls intersecting said inner wall portion at the respective slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 18,639 Levine Nov. 1, 1932 2,046,751 Reichel July 7, 1936 2,287,194 Paxton June 23, 1942 2,448,795 Grecco Sept. 7, 1948 

